Councillor Altany Craik

Last month, the funding was announced by Aileen Campbell, cabinet secretary for communities and local government. Scotland’s Towns Partnership administers the £1.7 million fund with the aim of supporting localised COVID-19 resilience and recovery response projects.

The four projects due to receive the funding are the Fife Council Town Centre Restart Group, Love oor Lang Toun campaign and the ShopAppy Digital Market Place, Visit East Neuk and the Kincardine project application made by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust. 

The Fife Council Town Centre Restart Group is due to receive £50,000 which it will use for gateway and information signage, its ‘Love Fife’s Towns Again’, ‘We’re Back’ and ‘Buy Local’ campaigns, hand sanitising stations and volunteer street marshalls. The project will also receive a small business grant of up to £100 for purchasing PPE, protective screens, hand sanitiser and internal signage for small businesses. The group will also use the funding to purchase portable decks/parklets as well as canopies/gazebos to support businesses moving to outdoor trading.

Love oor Lang Toun campaign and the ShopAppy Digital Market Place will receive £20,00 to improve the digital infrastructure in Kirkcaldy town centre and address “blackspots” and increasing roaming ability. The funding will also be used to install town centre click and collect digital lockers. The project will also use the funds to provide advice, information, support and marketing to visitors and businesses by using social media channels for Kirkcaldy town centre.

A total of £10,200 will be given to Visit East Neuk to develop a unique community based digital platform and app. The app will provide benefits to all the East Neuk communities as well as visitors to the area.

The Kincardine project application made by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust will receive £2,950 to help implement physical distancing and public health infrastructure, purchase outdoor protection and hand sanitising equipment and develop a Kincardine ‘Love Local’ message, including branding.

Councillor Altany Craik, convener for economy, tourism, strategic planning & transportation committee, said: “Receiving this funding is an extra boost for Fife’s economy. It will support the implementation of new measures for town centres, addressing immediate concerns and helping our communities recover.

“As we slowly come out of lockdown it’s vital we support our local communities to safely reopen our high streets and recover from the social and economic impacts of the pandemic. The steps we take to restore our town centres must be flexible, allowing them to respond quickly to any future changes.”